Lorani
Lorani is an ancient order of swordsmen dating back to the first draconian war. The order was originally created by a group of monks/fighters who sought to keep balance in the world and protect the empire from internal threats, for wherever balance is disrupted, suffering and turmoil follow. They refused to take part in the genocide of the dragons, and for this would pay the ultimate price. They would later be hunted down and killed, betrayed by Yestraz and hunted to near extinction,their order replaced by the Grey Hounds, until a lone master remained. He hid himself away, and bade his time. Venerable for an elf, he sensed evil within Yestraz and began to seek out followers. His first pupils was a few fighters, and slowly his monastery hidden in the southern swamps grew. When he passed on, his handful of followers struggled to survive in the second draconian war, until they stumbled upon an ancient temple for their people. Aided by relics of the past, they re-established their order, and have slowly gained recognition in the shattered remnants of the empire. Attempting to restore it to it's former glory, they are primarily a group dedicated to finding and destroying artifacts of power. This puts them directly at odds with "The Guardians", who seek such objects to house them away and keep them protected, but never destroyed. They work with the Magistrate in the pressuring of non-registered casters, but do not perform any of the cleansing. They believe that magic flows through all beings, and since the beginning of time has been a binding power throughout all life, mystical and in-understandable. They are able to tap into this to grant them special supernatural powers. They excel at fighting against other martial fighters and perform well against casters but lack some of the durability of a straight fighter. They also choose a "partner" upon becoming a lorani, and when fighting with their partner gain massive bonuses to combat. More Lorani start as fighters, monk/fighters, or rogues, (though the occasional ranger will make their way into the ranks). Paladins usually find the lawfullness agreeable, but usually do not tread this path as conflictions with the oath to their god and Lorani can arise. Pre-Reqs BAB: +5 Skills: Knowledge History: 5 ranks, Perform (Drill) 2 ranks, Concentration 5 ranks, Feats: Weapon Focus (Chosen Weapon), Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Dual Strike Special: Must undertake a special oath to the Lorani Order, forsaking all personal bonds. A Lorani can never marry, have children, and must serve the order to the best of their ability to their dying breath (and beyond), they lose all armor proficiency, and forsake all political offices and power. Lorani have all good saves, and 1:1 BAB scaling. Level 1 Initiator Levels: One half scaling (+1 level at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9th level) Padawan: As an initiate into their ranks, you begin to tap into the psychic energies that bind all beings in the universe together. You gain the ability to "sense" creatures around you. This extends ten feet/level of Lorani, and functions as the "deathwatch" spell, but in addition you can see hit points, wounded creatures, undead creatures, outsiders, and all things. Using this ability requires a full round action of concentration, during which the user is considered blind, but does not lose their dex to AC nor is considered flat footed against any attacks even if they are not aware of them. AC Bonus: Lorani excel and being able to move gracefully without the encumbrance of armor. In it's place, they gain 1+their wisdom modifier to their AC. This ability does not stack with others of the same type, but add lorani levels to the total monk or swordsage levels to determine their total AC as if they were their respective levels. Level 2 Lorani Partner Tactic: Starting at level 2, and every even number level thereafter, a Lorani and his partner pick an ability from the following list. Furthermore, whenever a Lorani and his partner are within 30 feet of one another, they gain a bonus +1 to AC, attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for every 3 levels in Lorani they have. This bonus doubles if they are within five feet of one another for an entire round. Your weakness is my Strength: This Lorani ability allows the Lorani to reroll and substitute their saving throw for their partners for a single save. Once this is used, they must wait 1D4+1 rounds before using it again. If both are exposed to the same effect from the same source at the same time, if one makes the saving throw, they provide the other a +4 morale bonus to their roll provided they are within 5 feet of each other. Otherwise, it is a +2 if they are within 30 feet. Fancy Footwork: A Lorani may "copy" a feat from their partner, provided they meet the pre-reqs and use it to their own discretion. The duration is 1d4+1/Lorani Level rounds, but may be ended sooner. Should they be within five feet one another, the duration does not decrease, effectively being infinite. Combined Strikes: When used, add all the damage dealt to the target by both Lorani to a single target in the round and count it as from a single source for the purposes of DR, death from massive damage. Furthermore, when used, the partner may make a free attack against the target the initiator hit, except this attack may be a maneuver. Perfect Partnership: The bonuses from "Lorani Partner Tactics" are doubled once more for 1d4+1 rounds. This ability has a 2d4+2 round cooldown after the duration ends. Furthermore, they are treated as having partial cover when within 5 feet of one another. Share Manuevers: As fancy footwork, but a maneuver instead. Use the maneuver is used, they cannot use it again until the end of the encounter, but are free to copy another maneuver from their partners list. The copiers initiator level is equal to their lorani level+any initiator levels they have+1/2 their other levels combined. Opportunistic Opportunity Provider: Whenever an attack of opportunity is provoked, either one of the partners may act upon the attack of opportunity provided they both threaten the same target. Cosmic Awareness: The Lorani knows at any time which plane and exactly where their partner is, and can as a free action use "greater scrying on them" with a caster level equal to 10+twice their Lorani level. Furthermore they gain uncanny dodge when within 30 feet, and improved uncanny dodge when within 5 and are never treated as flatfooted and always act in a surprise round. Blind Leading the Blind: They gain blindsense out to 5 feet/Lorani level. This increases to blindsight when the Lorani are within 30 feet of one another. Shared Pain: When within 30 feet, they are treated as having a hit point pool instead of each having hit point totals provided they are both aware of an attack. (Note: Essentially the damage is also split in half, with one taking half and the other taking the other half. This ability stops working when one is under 10% their max HP) This effect cannot sustain attacks greater than 1/2 one of theirs total HP. Furthermore, they gain a +4 competency bonus against all effects with the pain description, doubling to +8 when within 5 feet of one another. Refuse to Fall: (Must be at least a 4th level Lorani), When within 30 feet of their partner, treat both as having diehard and any attack which would drop them below 0 HP instead drops them to 1 and treat the rest as subdual damage, including all future damage taken until the start of their next turn. When within 5 feet, the rest of the damage is ignored and they ignore all future damage they take that round until the start of their next turn. Inseparable: Any effect which seeks to move a Lorani away from their partner without their consent (unwitting targets do not give consent) gives the Lorani a +8 to the saving throw, or +12 to the relevant check. Furthermore, they can as a free action before the effect goes off (if they are aware of the attack) make an immediate and free attack against the target (Treat as an attack of opportunity, but it does not work with Opportunistic Opportunity Provider). If the Lorani are within 5 feet of one another, they may take a swift action in addition to the attack of opportunity. Level 3: Cooperative Evasion: If within 5 feet of one another, both gain evasion. At 7th level, they gain mettle. If they already have this ability, they gain the improved version Level 5: Disruptive Strikes: When a subject is hit by a lorani, their first attack that hits the subject in a round inflicts a stacking -1 penalty to all skill checks, AC, saves, caster level, initiator level, OR invocation level. Multiple hits can add an additional -1 penalty, or apply to a new stack. This ability lasts one hour from when the subject was last hit. At 9th level, on a critical threat roll of 20, the subject loses the highest prepared spell or maneuver prepared. They are unaware this has been lost, and only realize it when they try to use it, effectively wasting their turn. Level 10 (Master Anthony) Disjoining Touch: A 10th level Lorani can make a ranged or melee touch attack roll against an opponent within sixty feet. If it hits, they must make a will save using only their base save plus their base ability modifier, DC 20+The Lorani's Wisdom Modifier+1/4 their total level. If the subject succeeds, they cannot use any supernatural or spell like abilities, spells, invocations, maneuvers, truenaming, as well as all magical effects, abilities, buffs, or effects put on them from any of the previously listed sources. This lasts until the start of the subjects next turn. If they fail the save, they lose the ability to use any of these until the Master redeems them, having a permanent mark on their forhead designating them as having lost their abilities. This effect can be removed with a remove curse, wish, or miracle spell. Furthermore, the Lorani master gains access to one ability removed in this fashion, even if they normally could not use it providing it is non-epic. This can only be used thrice in a day. If used on an item specifically, it works as mord. disjunction except the Lorani can choose to double the chance of destroying the artifact and automatically succeeds in the saving throw vs. losing their powers.